In a radio communications system covering a large geographic area (cell) not adequately serviced by a single radio frequency transmitter, it is known to distribute among a plurality of radio frequency transmitters a fixed number of sets of channels arranged in a predetermined pattern. This pattern is reused throughout the geographic area in such a way as to assure that radio frequency transmitters utilizing the same channel sets, i.e., co-channels, are spaced by a sufficient distance to assure that co-channel interference is held to acceptably low levels.
In the course of system growth, as it becomes necessary to add additional radio frequency transmitters to support additional cells, it was heretofore deemed necessary to assign channels to the new cells in accordance with the the existing reuse pattern. Thus, at each system growth step, as new cells are added, certain expensive, extensive, and inconvenient operations are typically required. Such operations include, but are by no means limited to, cell site reevaluations, radio relocations and radio retuning. As will be appreciated, such operations are typically based upon some form of theoretical modelling as opposed to the evaluation of purely empirical data. Thus, the cost and inaccuracy of these labor intensive efforts does not always promote the most efficient use of the available RF spectrum.
It would be extremely advantageous therefore, to provide a method whereby a newly deployed radio frequency transmitter can determine its own operating frequency based upon its own evaluation of the existing RF environment.